L. 1 (University Library, Cambridge University)
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E. G. Browne Collection
Contents
Summary of Contents: منشات رشیدی A very interesting collection of some fifty-two letters written to various contem-
poraries by the great minister, physician and historian Rashidu'd-Din Fadlu'lláh,
who was finally put to death in A.D. 1318 at the age of seventy by Abú Sa'id the
Mongol. The best and fullest account of this remarkable man is that given by
Quatremère in his Histoire des Mongols de la Perse (Paris, 1836), but the main
facts about his life and literary activity will be found in my History of Persian
Literature under Tartar Dominion (Cambridge, 1920), pp. 46-47, 49, 51-52 and
68-87. Some account of the present collection of letters (of which, so far as I know,
I possess the only two existing MSS.) is given on pp. 80-86 of the above-mentioned work. L. 1, the original MS., was given by Sir A. Houtum-Schindler in July, 1913, to
Mr G. le Strange who gave it to me on September 8, 1917. It is defective both at
the beginning and the end, comprises 182 ff. of 17'6 x 11'8 c. and 15 ll., and was
bought by Sir A. Houtum-Schindler in Tihrán in December, 1908. It is written in
a good, clear old naskh with rubrications and other titles in blue and dark red, and
begins abruptly in the middle of the preface of the editor Muhammad Abarqúhí: .... و سایه بان سرو و شمشاد را بر افراشت و عروس گلشن خضرا را از آب سحاب سیراب ساخت که
وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً الخ The first letter begins on f. 4" and is entitled: مکتوبی که مصنف مذكور عليه الرّحمة بمولانا اعظم مجد الدين اسمعيل فالي قدس سره
نوشته است، عطارد که وزیر شاهنشاه فلك است از لالی متلالی ارقام اقلام مخدوم حقیقی ملتقط
فراید فواید باد دیروز از فضلای این ملک در باب معنی وزیر و وزارت و اشتقاقات آن بحثی می
کردند و چنانکه میخواستند نهال سخن می پیراستند الخ Unfortunately very few of these letters are dated, viz. No. 7 (f. 9), Sha'bán
690/August, 1291, from Sultaniyya; No. 15 (f. 28), Thursday, mid-Sha'bán, 670
March 17, 1272, from Tús; and No. 42 (f. 142"), 690/1291, from Caesarea. They vary much alike in length and interest. In several cases long lists of herbs, drugs,
and essential oils are demanded from the governors of different towns and provinces
for the hospitals founded and maintained by Rashidu'd-Dín; in oné (f. 33%) forty
young men and maidens of Rúm are required to populate one of the villages in the
Rab-i-Rashídí at Tabriz; others refer to the marriages arranged for his sons
(No. 23, f. 70%); another (No. 36, f. 120") contains the will made by Rashidu'd-Din
during a dangerous illness, including bequests of books to the library founded by
him in the Rab-i-Rashídí, and to his children, fourteen sons and four daughters,
enumerated by name. One letter (No. 45, f. 145') is addressed to Shaykh Şafiyyu'd-
Dín of Ardabil, the ancestor of the Şafawi dynasty, while another (No. 49, f. 161")
especially commends him to Amir Ahmad the Governor of Ardabil. Several others
specify gifts in money or kind to be made to men of learning (in one case residents
in N. Africa) who have dedicated books to Rashidu'd-Dín. It will thus be seen
that an immense amount of interesting matter rarely to be found in Persian histories
is contained in these letters, which should certainly be published. [Some years ago Muhammad Shafi', now Vice-Principal and Professor of Arabic at the Orienta
College, Lahore, who at that time was a Government of India Research Scholar at Cambridge, made
an abridged and annotated English translation of the Letters of Rashidu'd-Dín. It is hoped that the
publication of this work, in which Professor Browne took the keenest interest, will not be long delayed.] L. 2, the second MS., is merely a modern copy of L. I, beginning with 1. 1 of
f. 1 and ending identically, made in 1266/1849-1850 at Țihrán for Prince Bahman
Mirza Bahá'u'd-Dawla. It comprises 139 ff. of 21'5 x 16 c. and 17 ll., and is written
in a legible ta'liq with rubrications. L. 3 is an English "Summary of the Contents of the Persian MS. Despatches
of Rashid-ad-Din, copied from notes supplied by Sir A. Houtum-Schindler and
afterwards corrected by him, Dec. 1913," made by Mr G. le Strange. Nearly half
the book has been left blank. The written portion comprises 93 ff. of 19'6 x 15'2 c.
and about 19 ll. + 30 ff. (numbered 1 to 30) slightly larger in size, concluding
with a list of the Despatches in Mr le Strange's hand. Only the recto of each leaf
is written on, the verso being left blank.Physical Description
Form: codexSupport: PaperExtent: Ff. 182Dimensions: 17.6 × 11.8 cm.Layout
15 lines
Hand(s)
A good, clear old naskh with rubrications and other titles in blue and dark red
History
Origin: undated AH; Gregorian CEProvenance and Acquisition
This MS. was given by Sir A. Houtum-Schindler in July, 1913, to Mr G. le Strange
Mr G. le Strange gave it to E. G. Browne on September 8, 1917.
Bequest of E. G. Browne.
Record Sources
Summary, physical description and provenance copied from R. A. Nicholson: A descriptive catalogue of the Oriental MSS belonging to the late E.G. Browne. Cambridge, 1932.Availability
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Funding of Cataloguing
JISC
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